Microphones are widely integrated in consumer electronic devices such as, for example, smartphones. A microphone of a consumer electronic device is typically implemented as a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone device that is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) of the consumer electronic device. A MEMS microphone device typically includes a hole that allows sound to reach a sensing portion of the MEMS microphone device. The PCB associated with the MEMS microphone device also typically has a hole that allows sound to reach the sensing portion of the MEMS microphone device. Therefore, the hole of the MEMS microphone device and the hole of the PCB can form an audio port (e.g., an audio path) for sound to reach the sensing portion of the MEMS microphone device.
Because of the demand to make consumer electronic devices smaller and/or design constraints that prevent large holes in consumer electronic devices, the audio port that allows sound to travel to the sensing portion of the MEMS microphone device inside a consumer electronic device is often small. Due to the small size of the audio port, the audio port is prone to blockage. Blockage of an audio port can be caused, for example, by a thumb or finger of a user, foreign material such as dirt, food or water, etc. Consequently, a MEMS microphone of a conventional consumer electronic device is prone to decreased quality and/or performance due to blockage of an audio port associated with the MEMS microphone.
It is thus desired to provide MEMS microphone systems that improve upon these and other deficiencies. The above-described deficiencies are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional implementations, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional implementations and techniques, and corresponding benefits of the various aspects described herein, may become further apparent upon review of the following description.